Question

1. how does the tone of their verbal exchange contrast with the topic of their discussion?

the grave digger is showing up a skull and hamlet is upset
avedigger throws up a skull)
that skull had a tongue in it and could sing
w the knave jowls it to the ground, as if it were
wbone, that did the first murder! it might be the
politician, which this ass now oerreaches,
would circumvent god, might it not?
it might, my lord.
or of a courtier, which could say, \good
weet lord!\ \how dost thou, good lord?\ this
my lord such-a-one that praised my lord
s horse when he meant to beg it, might it
ay, my lord
why, een so. and now my lady worms,
nd knocked about the mazard with a
de. heres fine revolution, an we had the
t. did these bones cost no more the
ut to play at loggets with them? mine ache to
ger (sings) a pickax and a spade, a
and a shrouding sheet, oh, a pit of clay for
for such a guest is meet. (throws up
)
eres another. why may not that be the
yyer? where be his quiddities now, his
cases, his tenures, and his tricks? why
ar this rude knave now to knock him about
ith a dirty shovel and will not tell him of hisery? hum! this fellow might be in s time a
f land, with his statutes, his
s, his fines, his double vouchers, his
this the fine of his fines and the recovery
es, to have his fine pate full of fine dirt?
ers vouch him no more of his purchases,
es too, than the length and breadth of a
res? the very conveyances of his lands
this box, and must the inheritor himself
h a?
5.1.70 - 103)
(the gravedigger throws up a skull)
hamlet that skull had a tongue in it once and could
sing. that jackass is throwing it around as if it belonged
to cain, who did the first murder! it might be the skull of
a politician once capable of talking his way around god,
right? and now this idiot is pulling rank on him.
horatio indeed, my lord,
hamlet or a courtier, who could say things like, \good
night, my sweet lord! how are you doing, good lord?\
this might be the skull of lord so - and - so, who praised
lord such - and - suchs horse when he wanted to borrow
it, right?
horatio yes, my lord,
hamlet exactly. and now its the property of lady
worm, its lower jaw knocked off and thwacked on the
noggin with a shovel. thats quite a reversal of fortune,
isnt it, if we could only see it? are these bones worth
nothing more than bowling pins now? it makes my
bones ache to think about it.
gravedigger (sings) a pickax and a shovel, a
shovel, and a sheet for a funeral shroud, oh, a pit of dirt
is what we need for a guest like this one here, (he
throws up another skull)
hamlet theres another. could that be a lawyers
skull? wheres all his razzle - dazzle legal jargon now?
why does he allow this idiot to knock him on the head
with a dirty shovel, instead of suing him for assault and
battery? maybe this guy was once a great landowner,
with his deeds and contracts, his tax shelters and his
annuities. is it part of his deed of ownership to have his
skull filled up with dirt? does he only get to keep as
much land as a set of contracts would cover if you
spread them out on the ground? the deeds to his
properties would barely fit in this coffin—and the coffins
all the property he gets to keep?
hamlet let me see. (he takes the skull) oh, poor
yorick! i used to know him, horatio—a very funny guy.

Explanation:

The topic of their discussion is death and the finality of human existence, which is a solemn and serious subject. However, the gravedigger's tone is light - hearted, almost jovial, as he sings and makes casual remarks about the skulls. Hamlet, on the other hand, is more philosophical but also shows a sense of melancholy. The contrast lies in the gravedigger's non - chalance and Hamlet's more profound yet somewhat sarcastic musings against the serious backdrop of death.

Answer:

The tone of the gravedigger (light - hearted, singing) contrasts with the serious topic of death and human mortality. Hamlet's tone, while more philosophical, also has an element of sarcasm and melancholy that stands against the gravedigger's casual approach to the solemn subject.